The change I would love to see happen for non ridden equines most likely will not happen in my lifetime. My lone voice will never influence change. I am realistic that what I have to say on the matter and the resources I have are tiny compared to the issues out there. I am like a single cell organism floating in a vast sea. The issues are huge and complex with their roots in cultural conditioning. Plus I must float in the waters with the big fish, some that could eat me and destroy what I have tried to put out there. It takes courage to stand up and be shot at.    

The reality is change is in all our hands. The power of the collective is something that cannot be ignored. A single snowflake makes no impression, a vast snowfall can stop everything in its path and require attention. Yet a call out to all who share the non ridden call….how many hear?

Why will change be slow? Here I share my personal observations from years in the equestrian world that lead me to conclude why change will be slow. I could be right or wrong….they are just my personal observations.   

Sadly the equine world is fractured and divided. Even when the provision of the website platform for all - the Non Ridden Equine Association UK which is there to celebrate the rich diversity of non ridden I have discovered you cannot please everyone. I invite people to contribute to the resources and yes there are people who are generous and give to the wider cause. However mostly people are precious about their hard earnt knowledge and do not want to contribute. Is it because of financial pressure? Time? Or something else that stops them?

I sit and observe very few are willing to promote or share the FREE resources already on offer on the Non Ridden Equine Association UK website. They may not want to promote the wider non ridden agenda? Maybe they see no value to share? Or only see the benefit of their own agenda? Is it the divisions in the equine world that mean people are extremely reluctant to share these FREE resources on the Non Ridden Equine Association UK website? Maybe people don’t want to? Maybe they see it as not their responsibility?

I don’t have the answers….It would be good to have some. So if you want to leave a response this is a blog with the facility to leave your feedback.   

I certainly know the equine world can be a very harsh place. I have been on the receiving end personally of judgement, criticism and felt isolated. It is common in the real equine world and on social media to see the divisions: anti this and that, cliques, clubs, and closed circles. Judgement and criticism and even bullying. Passions run over and well-meaning unsolicited advice has the potential to cause deep wounds and pain. Then the ethics of how we interact with equines is a hot topic and one that certainly divides the equine world.

Support for our fellow human is often in short supply. Maybe because we all live with challenges others know nothing about and spend our lives just trying to keep our own heads above water and not drown. If we have little in the way of capacity to give outside of ourselves we can only be in survival mode. That is a state many find themselves in especially in the challenging world we live in due to the carnage Covid has brought into how we live our lives. I am certain this is a factor for individuals and business. Self-healing time is something we all need to cherish and value. As without it we have little to give others.

Then there is the fast pace of modern life, social media is a good example. Everything is chip paper in minutes. What may hold interest is fleeting and soon forgotten. The throw away culture, the quick fixes, fashions and trends. I love how our equines are the absolute opposite of this and offer us a doorway to being grounded and in nature. It is an excellent way to step off the crazy wheel. The call to not get back on that crazy wheel is strong. So strong. However who will speak up for non ridden equines? So I get back out there and do the best I can. And why.....because of our horse Kez. He is my daily inspiration that more must be done.